COURSE SYLLABUS

BIOL 2404 Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology, Spring 2015

Section / Time / Location
23339-015 Lecture / TTh9:00 -10:20 AM / PIN 710
Lab / TTh10:30 -11:50 AM / PIN 701

BIOL 2404 INTRODUCTION TO ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY (4-3-3). Introduction to the structure and function of the human body with an emphasis on anatomy. Designed for students in the ACC health science programs.

Instructional Methodology: Online Notes, Online Lectures, Animations and traditional lab exercises.

Skills Requirements:

Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency as determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test, or by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college.

Course Rationale:

Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology prepares students requiring a one-semester anatomy & physiology course and those applying to one of the following ACC Allied Health Science programs:

  • DMI–Radiology
  • EMS Professions
  • Medical Coding
  • Medical Laboratory Technology
  • Nursing (LVN)
  • Occupational Therapy Asst/OTA
  • Personal Fitness Trainer (Certificate)
  • Surgical Technology (Certificate/AAS

Contacting Instructor:Charles Wayne Office:PIN 806

Phone/message:512-223-8211e-mail:

Fax: 512-223-8900website:

Office Hours:(M 5:00 – 6:00, MW 2:00 – 3:00 PM, PIN 806) (TTh 12:00 – 1:00 PM, PIN 806) and by appointment.

Textbook:Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Frederic Martini (Author),Edwin Bartholomew(Author), 6th edition, ISBN-10:0321786653| ISBN-13:978-0321786654

Earlier editions such as the 4th or 5th can also be used.

Lab Manual:Recommended:A Photographic Atlas for the Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Seventh Edition[Loose Leaf] Kent M. Van De Graff (Author), David A. Morton (Author), John L. Crawley(Author) ISBN-10:0895828758| ISBN-13:978-0895828750 Bring to every lab class. Earlier editions are okay.

Other: Course Notes (available by download from )

Calculator that does basic operations and square roots

Safety eyewear that meets Z87.1 standards

Closed-toed shoes for lab classes using chemicals, biohazards or sharps

Student Learning Outcomes Lecture:

Course-Level:

Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

  • explain physiological processes of all body systems in detail and on an appropriate level (knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis)
  • explain the role of body systems and mechanisms in maintaining homeostasis
  • explain how the activities of organs are integrated for maximum efficiency

Student Learning Outcomes:

Course-Level:

Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

  • Identify and explain gross and microscopic anatomical structures of all body systems and on an appropriate level (knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis)
  • Identify and explain anatomical location, gross structures, and histological structure of tissues and organs of the human body
  • Explain basic physiological processes of all body systems and on an appropriate level (knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis)
  • Explain the role of body systems and mechanisms in maintaining homeostasis
  • Work safely in a lab setting

General Education:

As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

  • Working effectively in a group
  • Demonstrating higher level critical thinking skills, solving problems, and following directions
  • Directing their own learning activities to meet course objectives

Departmental Common Course Objectives:

The ACC Biology Department has specified the content for this course in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at

Departmental Common Course Objectives:

The ACC Biology Department has specified the content for this course in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at

Rules and Attendance

Your performance depends heavily on your class and lab attendance. Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class. You are responsible for all materials, activities, assignments or announcements covered in class, regardless of your reason for being absent. All materials covered in lectures, textbook, handouts and assigned readings are “fair game” for lecture exams. The exact dates of exams can be changed to accommodate changes in the syllabus or wishes of the majority of students. Any changes will be announced ahead of time. Keep your syllabus updated as changes are made. There is no excuse for forgetting an important date.

Lecture attendance is important but will not be regularly checked or graded but will be informally monitored. If your percent grade is within 1 point of a letter grade, your final letter grade will be determined by your attendance and participation in lecture and lab. Experience has proven over and over again that poor attendance results in poor grades!

Preparation and Study Time

The course schedule indicates reading assignments for each lecture and lab period. You are

expected to read the assigned material before coming to that day’s class or lab.

If you want to get a good grade in this course, expect to spend about two hours studying and

reading outside of class for every hour in class. Since you are in class 5 hour per week (lecture and lab) then you should expect to spend at least 10 to 15 hours per week studying and preparing for this class. The most common cause of poor grades is not being able, or willing, to schedule enough study time outside of class.

Lecture Exams and Grading (70% of Course Grade)

Lecture: There will be 4 - 5, 100 point lecture/lab exams. These tests will include material over the topics from the lecture, textbook, handouts and assigned readings. The exam may include true and false, multiple-choice, essay, fill-in-the-blank and cross-matching types of questions. With the exception of the final exam, you will be allowed to drop your lowest exam grade. The lecture will count for 70% of your course grade.

Note: the Scantron machine sometimes makes mistakes, particularly when you change an answer and do not completely erase the other choice. In order to verify these mistakes, you must also circle the correct answer on the test booklet. Challenges to the machine's accuracy will not be accepted, if you do not indicate your answer on the test booklet. You will have until the next class period, after the Scantron is returned, to challenge its accuracy.

Extra Credit

Extra Credit: A total of 10 extra points are possible for the semester: A 5 – 10 page research paper may be written to obtain a maximum of 10 lecture test points. The maximum credit per page is 1 point. The paper must have at least 5 pages. The topic must be approved by the instructor. The paper must be turned in by the last day of class or earlier. Information on style and citing sources is available on Bb.

Laboratory (30% of Course Grade)

Lab Tests: There will be 4 - 5 lab tests. They will be announced and may include short answer, matching, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice or essay. Except for the final exam, you will be allowed to drop your lowest exam. If you miss an exam, for any reason, this will count as the one you drop. Unannounced lab quizzes will be given and may include true and false, fill in the blank, essay, matching or short answers. These are counted as extra credit. The lab exams count for 60% of your lab grade. Lab Exams and quizzes cannot be made up.

Lab Reports (Assignments) During the semester there will be approximately 4 - 7 lab assignments to complete. These will consist of take home lab exercises and several PhysioEx 9.0 Human Physiology Laboratory simulations. The lab assignments count for 20% of your lab grade. Lab Assignments are due one week after the assignment is given. You will lose 10 points if a lab assignment is 1 – 7 days late, an additional 10 points if submitted during second week after due date. There is no credit given for a lab exercise is submitted more than two weeks after due date. There are no makeup labs.

Lab Book and Data Sheets The lab book data sheets and questions should be filled during lab class time and if needed, completed at home. The lab book will be collected at the end of the semester and will be graded. If it is not turned in, an Incomplete will be given for the course. The lab book data sheets are 20% of your lab grade. Sample lab books are available in the lab. Requirements for the lab book are available on Bb.

Type of Assessment / Number of Exams / Points for each assessment / Total Points / Grade
Weighting / Percent of
Overall grade
Lecture component- 70% of your grade for the course
Lectures Exams* / 5 / 100 / 500 / 70% / 70%
Lab Component- 30% of your grade for the course
Practicals* / 5 / 100 / 500 / 60% / 18%
Lab Book / 1 / 100 / 100 / 20% / 6%
Assignmen ts* / 6 / 100 / 600 / 20% / 6%

Test and Lab Values

*The number of lecture exams and practicals may change but the percent of overall grade will remain the same.

Grade Calculation:

COURSE GRADE: your grade for this course will be based upon your combined performance in the lecture and lab. Your lecture exam average will constitute 70% of your overall course grade; your laboratory exam average will comprise the remaining 30%. Your approximate grade can be determined at any time using the chart below and the following formula: Current grade = (current lecture average x 0.70) + (current lab average x 0.30).

After completion of the lecture and lab a single grade is calculated.

Final Grade Scale:A = 90–100%; B = 80–89%; C = 70–79%; D = 60–69%; F = 0–59%

Additional Important Information

Course Policies

Attendance/Class Participation

Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Withdrawal Policy

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall, 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate, for that course.

State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards this limit. Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog. The last day to withdraw from a class this semester isMonday, April 27.

Reinstatement

Students who have withdrawn from the course will need to meet with the professor to discuss possible reinstatement to the course.

Incompletes

An instructor may award a grade of “I” (Incomplete) if a student was unable to complete all of the objectives for the passing grade in a course. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty

A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an “F” in the course and/or expulsion from the college. See the Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process and other policies at

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with college rules and procedures.

Statement on Students with Disabilities

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other accommodations must request them through the office Student Accessibility Services (SAS).Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester, otherwise the provision of accommodations may be delayed.

Students who have received approval for accommodations from SAS for this course must provide the instructor with the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from SAS before accommodations will be provided. Arrangements for academic accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from the student.

Students with approved accommodations are encouraged to submit the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ to the instructor at the beginning of the semester because a reasonable amount of time may be needed to prepare and arrange for the accommodations.

Additional information about Student Accessibility Services is available at

Safety Statement

Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at

Please note, you are expected to conduct yourself professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.

You are expected to conduct yourself professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.

Official Biology Department Policy Concerning Student Use of Organisms in the Classroom and Laboratory:

Most ACC biology classes, particularly those with laboratory components, use actual organisms during instruction in addition to images and models. ACC students generally are preparing for real-world careers requiring workers with hands-on experience. These careers include health care, veterinary work, horticultural and agricultural work. Other students plan to transfer to four-year colleges and will be participating in biological research where hands-on experience is equally important.

Organisms used at ACC are fundamental in biology instruction and they are utilized to teach specific skills and knowledge. Their condition and usage varies from course to course. Students will be expected to actively participate in these activities. Students with particular concerns in this matter should consult with their instructor and/or departmental officials before enrolling in a laboratory course so that they can know what will be required of them.

Some organisms are observed alive while others are dead and preserved in various ways. Student manipulation of organisms ranges from culturing living organisms to dissecting preserved ones. Some examples include, but are not limited to: bacterial culturing for microbiology courses; cat, pig or rat dissection for anatomy courses; skeleton and pelt examination for field biology; and use of frogs in physiology experiments.

Specific safety information for each activity will be discussed at the beginning of the activity. For those activities that require specific safety training, a student who is late and misses the safety training will not be able to participate in the activity. The comprehensive science safety policy can be found at: